Isabella, Crown Princess of Jutland
by undertheguiseofme
Summary: From the day of her engagement to the Crown Prince of Jutland, Isabella Marie Swan has been the subject of many books and newspaper articles. Here, for the first time is the true account of the life of Isabella, Crown Princess of Jutland.
1. Chapter 1

_August 24, 2003_

_0900_

_Press Release from Gnudsborg Palace_

_The Office of the Lord Chamberlain announces:_

_His Majesty The King of Jutland and Her Royal Highness The Queen have pleasure in announcing the engagement of their son, His Royal Highness The Crown Prince to Miss Isabella Marie Swan._

_Today, August 24, 2003, the State Council gathered at Gnudsborg Palace presided over by His Majesty The King of Jutland. Upon submission and approval of the Prime Minister and Cabinet members and acknowledging the Constitutional Amendment of 1859 for the Act of Succession, His Majesty gave consent to the marriage of His Royal Highness The Crown Prince and Miss Isabella Marie Swan. The wedding will take place Saturday, June 12th__, 2004._

_Miss Isabella Swan is an American and is currently of a non-denominational faith. She has agreed to become a member of the Jutland Evangelical Lutheran Church and apply for Jutland citizenship, thus relinquishing her American citizenship._

_Her spiritual guidance shall be lead by His Majesty's Chaplain, Professor James Bjornson in her transition to the Lutheran faith._

_The marriage ceremony will be performed by The Bishop of Danskholm, Sven Holby assisted by Professor James Bjornson at the Cathedral of Danskholm._

_* * * * * * * * * * *_

_Our first time to see the newly engaged couple was the balcony presentation after the engagement had been announced. They walked through the glass doors and out onto the balcony and were greeted by thousands of cheering Jutlanders waving American and Jutland flags. Dressed in a red day dress with a tan overcoat, Miss Isabella Swan seemed at first daunted by the crowds, but gripping the hand of her betrothed, she smiled and waved at the crowd assembled to greet the woman who will one day be Queen of this tiny Nordic Country._

_It was our first uncensored glimpse of her in her future role. It was clear the palace machine had done its duty to produce a polished Crown Princess-to-be in place of the girl we had previously only seen in jeans and sneakers, trying her best to stay anonymous. Hair impeccably done, the right tones of makeup, the designer dress and high heels seemingly made for a Princess. This was a new glimpse of the woman who had stealthily won the heart of our lovable and popular Crown Prince and shattered the hopes and dreams of many a girl who been hoping of marrying their own Prince Charming. _

_This is the story of Miss Isabella Maria Swan and her incredible story of meeting a prince and falling in love. We will go beyond the newspaper headlines and television coverage and with interviews from those closest to her, we will tell the whole story of Isabella, Crown Princess of Jutland. From her childhood to the fairytale romance. To the wedding and beyond. Her Royal Highness had to give up much to marry the man she loved. Was it worth it? And how will this new princess carry one of Europe's oldest monarchies into the future?_


	2. Chapter 2

The future Crown Princess of Jutland entry to the world was an unremarkable one. Born in the early afternoon of September 13th 1975, she weighed an unremarkable 6 lbs, 10 oz. The only child of Charles and Renee Swan, she was taken home a few days later to her strictly middle class neighborhood and for the next 18 years, raised as any other American child. Her father, the Chief of Police for the small town of Forks, Washington and her mother, a sculptor, sent their daughter to the local elementary school and then on to the local high school. Bella, as she was known to friends and family, was a quiet girl. A good student, she studied hard and make excellent grades. She wasn't active in school sports, but she did have a small, but close circle of friends she could depend on.

"Because we were all from this small town, we didn't have much to do," remembers a high school classmate who asked to stay anonymous for this interview. "Most days were spent trying to keep dry. On nice days, we would all head to the beach. We didn't drink or do drugs, it was very much small town America. Most of the time, we were just bored."

Bella didn't seem to go through the rebellious stage of many teenagers. She kept her mind on her studies and planned to attend University upon graduating from high school. Social issues were always a concern of the young woman. Perhaps nurtured at an early age by her mother, Bella took up causes for those less fortunate.

"I remember one time in 5th grade, she held a bake sale for the local animal shelter. I remember thinking at the time it was really something for someone her age to take on. You don't see that often in children, the desire to help others. But it was always there with Bella. You just knew her future would be devoted to helping others." Bella's 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Susan Jones.

Thousands of miles away, The Crown Prince of Jutland, Edward Anthony Louis was beginning his stage of what the press dubbed "The Party Prince" when Bella was in 5th grade. Born June 20th, 1967, to His Majesty The King of Jutland Carlisle Louis Edward and Her Royal Highness The Queen Esme Anne. He was the 2nd child of the royal couple. His elder sister Rosalie Lillian was born in 1965, his younger sister, Mary Alice was born in 1971. Jutland was a male primogeniture country, which meant that the oldest male child was automatically ordained the Crown Prince. A referendum in 1980 brought along by the sweeping changes for women's equal rights changed this to accept all first born children of the Royal House, regardless of sex. It was not retroactive, which meant the current line of succession was not changed. However, for all future royal births to a Crown Royal, the act will count toward them.

The Crown Prince was a very handsome young man. With his bronze hair, emerald green eyes and chiseled features, his pictures and posters hung on the walls of many Jutland teen girls who could only hope to one day snag the handsome prince. At age 19, he was in his first year at Political Science studies at the University of Jutland. He was also undergoing his military training as is the norm for a young royal prince. His life was completely different growing up than that of his future wife.

"Everybody thinks how wonderful it would be to be a royal. But the truth of the matter is that all the palaces and money cannot make up for the years of missing your parents while they are away on official functions and having nannies fill the gap and having to conform to the standards of this office you are born into," the Duke of Gnudson , brother of King Carlisle, says. "It is an incredible amount of pressure to be under, all these expectations on your shoulders, the weight of the world literally on your shoulders and all you want to do is go out to a party or have fun. No one understands the weight of the office. It is a heavy burden to carry, that of being a future King of a country."

If his every move was being scrutinized by the Jutland press, the Crown Prince made sure to keep his coverage limited. He went out of his way to keep his activities private. As private as a Crown Prince can keep them. For the 4 years of his University studies and military training, the press was allowed photo opportunities that were only allowed by their Royal Highnesses, the King and Queen. Photo ops were scheduled and an agreement that the Prince was off limits for his University years allowed the Prince some anonymity. For the first and only time, he was allowed some semblance of a normal life.

"He was raised in a royal household yes, but his mother and father were very generous with their affection and they both made sure that all their children grew up in as normal a way as possible. The children were all sent to public schools." The Duke of Gnudson remembers. "Jutland is a very open country. We are also a very small country, just under 4 million Jutlanders live here. There are expectations that the Royal Family, while holding a lofty office, be something like everyone else."

We've all seen the photos of Queen Esme walking her children through the parks of Jutland's capital, or of the children riding bicycles to school. The way that Royal Family melds themselves to be almost normal citizens endears them to their countrymen. They hold high approval rates and Jutlanders hold their Royal Family in high regard. King Carlisle and his wife, Queen Esme are highly respected and beloved. They frequently hold poll ratings of above 90%, no small feat for anyone in a public position.

When King Carlisle came to the throne in 1974, his young, beautiful family captivated the whole population of Jutland. His father had died a revered King and the expectations on the young King were high. He has performed the job of his office well. Although he holds minimal political power, he is involved in the day to day functions of the Parliament and has final say on bills and laws. He has a monthly meeting, one day a week with his subjects. He has a constitutional obligation to hear out the concerns of the citizens of his land.

The 80's and 90's saw Prince Edward stumbling toward his role. He completed military training for all three branches of the Jutland Military. The press captured his every move with his various dates and speculated on his love life. By spring of 1992, Prince Edward was seeing a daughter of Danish nobleman. Ingrid Anderson was a beautiful blonde who was well educated and moved in the same circles as Edward. For almost two years they dated and rumors of an engagement grew.

"It was probably his most serious romance so far." Mette Berg, editor for Jutland's biggest tabloid, Billed Tag, says. " We were all waiting for the engagement announcement anytime the Council resumed. She had the looks, the background for the job. We all thought it would she would be the One."

But as we know now, it wasn't to be. In summer of 1994, Bella graduated from high school and in the fall of that year, started studies at The University of Washington in social work. What she didn't know then and what we all know now, is that a powerful force was about to be headed her way. One that would put her life directly in the path of the Crown Prince. With an amazing stroke of good luck and the knack for being in the right place and the right time, Isabella Marie Swan was about to set the course that would eventually lead to that August afternoon in 2003, when the whole of Jutland welcomed her as the future Crown Princess and eventually Queen,


	3. Chapter 3

**In spring of 1997, Bella Swan was running late for class. She stopped at gas station to fill up her car between her job as an assistant at a local preschool for needy children and her evening class. She paused at the cash register and for a reason she later described as "this feeling of something lucky", she asked the cashier for a lottery ticket. At 750 million American dollars, the lottery was the biggest ever. One can forgive anyone for feeling lucky about that amount given the horrible odds of winning. But as we will come to see, luck and a knack for being in the right spot at the right time were swiftly becoming Bella's trademarks.**

**The experience of her winning is best summed up in her own words, which she gave at the engagement interview.**

"**I don't know why I even bought a ticket. I had never done so before. But I just felt, almost as if someone had leaned in and whispered to me to buy it. I just felt this incredible surge of luck. So I bought it and tucked it away into my purse. I was late for class and finals were approaching. I didn't give the ticket much thought until I woke up the next morning and my roommate was going on about the Lottery winner having bought the winning ticket at the local gas station. My first thought, a bit cloudy upon being woken, was that this was fantastic! A local person had won the lottery. It wasn't until later that afternoon when I remembered I had purchased a ticket and that's when I checked the numbers. I can't even recollect what my first thoughts were. I mean, how could anyone upon learning they were 750 million dollars richer? It was all very surreal. And to this day, it still feels like it happened to someone else or that it happened in some alternative world."**

**But Bella didn't quit her last year of studies and blow through her money. At just over 450 million American dollars after tax, the amount of money she had in her bank, Bella graduated with a degree in Social Work and began her task of making the world a better place. She gave her parents 5 million, which may seem like a small amount given her vast new wealth, but as Bella explained later on in the same engagement interview, her parents were at the core, simple people. They paid off their house and socked the rest of the money away, but her father, kept his Chief of Police job and her mother opened an art studio and school for those in need and at risk children. Bella herself went ahead with the task to start foundations for those in need and at risk.**

**In the Fall of 1999, with the help of a team of 10 dedicated board people, she started 'The Foundation'. Its main cause was to open free health and education clinics for local Native Americans and the needy. Services provided were health screenings, immunizations, nutrition classes. Staffed by board certified doctors and registered nurses, the clinics offered local residents the ability to get top quality health care at free costs. The Foundation also opened a series of daycares and preschools for parents who were unable to pay for their children to attend other places and also had work training classes for the same parents so they could broaden their job skills.**

**On December 1st****, 1999 The Foundation went global. Opening health clinics in Africa and South America. Bella spent most of her time traveling between the various clinics and schools. In August of 2000 she opened the first Foundation health clinic and school in Australia. She had planned to spend six months in Australia, setting up these clinics. By the end of August, she had set up a house in Sydney, Australia. Just in time. September 2000 marked the Olympics and that year, the Olympics were being held in Sydney.**

"**She was a busy thing. Flying here and there for openings of her clinics. She was kept busy, but I know she was always thinking of her ranch in Montana. She bought it soon after winning the lottery. 10,000 acres. It was her biggest purchase. And it seemed fitting for her, she was always rather quiet. She had her horses and cattle and I think she was content there. The little that she was there," her aunt Julia Swan says. "Her ranch gave her the rest and solitude she liked in those days. She used to call it her haven."**

**Six months in a land so far from her own must have seemed a lonely prospect for Bella. But she persevered. Meetings were held with local businesses to offer support for her clinics. Interviews were given to the newspaper. She made a few friends and on one September night she was asked to go a local pub.**

"**I was asked to go. I had wanted to put it off, I had planned to look over proposals that night. But my friends were adamant I go, to have some fun. So I did. I had no idea that the Jutland team would be there, or did I know that royals would be there. I think there were 2 or 3 Crown Princes at that bar that night. At the time, I didn't know that. I only went to get away from my paperwork." The Crown Princess of Jutland, Isabella, recounting the first night she met her future husband. "It was about half an hour later of being there that one of my friends rushed up to me and announced that a large group of royals was there."**

**That pub was the Slip Inn. Crown Prince Edward was at the Slip Inn that night. So was Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, his brother, Prince Joachim of Denmark and Crown Prince Felipe of Spain. Also present was Princess Martha Louise of Norway and Prince Nikolaos of Greece. **

**It is something of note that on that night, in that Australian pub, two Crown Princes, although unknowingly, had found their future wives. The two princes of the Nordic countries of Denmark and Jutland were close friends. They were both around the same age and had grown up under similar conditions.**

**Dressed in a ruby silk halter and dark wash jeans, the lovely Bella with her fair skin and dark hair must have made a lovely sight. How she and her friends found themselves at the same table as the Crown Prince is a bit of mystery. We were allowed a small sample of their first meeting via Bella at their engagement interview.**

"**I found myself at this table, surrounded by people I didn't know. Loud talking, music playing. I leaned over to the person next to me and said "You know, I've heard there is supposed to be a group of royals here." And the person replied back to me, "Really?" I remember saying to that person, "I'm an American, royalty doesn't impress me. Give me a person who dedicates their lives to helping others, that impresses me." From that point on, we kept up a lively conversation. He introduced himself simply as Edward. It was only later, when we were leaving and we were exchanging numbers did I learn he was a prince."**

**Prince Edward did call Bella the very next day. They spent the afternoon at her rented house at a barbecue Bella threw.**

"**She was having this barbecue and asked me to come over. She said she was having some friends over and that I should come," her friend Lori Whitting tells. "It was a fun party. I had no idea, until later that Edward was even a prince. He fit in very well with our small crowd and seemed to be enjoying himself."**

"**I think he liked the normal lifestyle that she had. He probably craved this sort of life, coming from a royal household. Probably one of the biggest reasons their relationship continued to grow was how normal and low key Bella was. It must have been very refreshing for Edward to sit and drink a beer and just talk without having to worry about protocol and photographers capturing his every move. The fact that Bella had her own private house was something that helped their relationship."**

**But Edward only spent two weeks in Australia at the Olympics before leaving to go home to Jutland. He and Bella kept up frequent communications via email and the phone and in November of 2000, he made another trip to spend the week with her. Once again, no one found out about this meeting and for the next year they would keep up their secret meetings before the press found out.**

**In March of 2001, Edward visited Bella at her ranch in Montana. They have both said the two weeks that followed were one of the happiest of their lives. To Edward, the privacy of her ranch and his anonymity at doing things such as dining out and going to the movies must have seemed liked a world removed from his. **

"**The nature of Bella's job allowed her the freedom to spend all the time she could with Edward. He probably liked all the attention she gave him and I'm sure being on her ranch seemed like heaven to him. No one knew him. He was treated like anyone else. He could walk around without being ghosted by bodyguards. It must have been very freeing for him." Lori Whitting goes on to say, "I think, moreso than the privacy the ranch allowed Edward, was Bella's own attitude that she didn't treat him like a prince. She made him help around the house and muck out the horse stalls. She wasn't scared to have an argument with him. I think, overall, her treating him as a human being, rather than a prince is what made him fall in love with her."**

**Her plain talk may have endeared the Prince to her, but he was also supportive and very proud of her work for the disadvantaged. One of Bella's close friends who also worked with her on her the board of The Foundation had this to say.**

"**I remember we had an opening for a new clinic. It was April or May of 2001 and we were in Montana. It was our first clinic in Montana. Edward had flown in just for a few days, complete surprise to Bella. But she had this opening to attend. Edward came with her, but he hung back a bit. The local press was there, and even though no one knew who he was, he wanted to be sure. He wanted the day to be all about Bella and her good works. He spent the whole day in her shadow, watching her give a speech to the citizens of the town, cutting the ribbon to the new clinic and speaking to press. I think he was awed by her ability and poise and I think maybe, on that very day, he began to see that she could work well as a Princess. That she had what it took. And I think from there, it was simple for him to decide that she was the one."**

**If Edward had made up his mind, he kept it to himself. Instead, he and Bella continued on with their long distance romance. In June of 2001, Bella flew to England to take part in a seminar addressing water resources in Ethiopia. She made a quick stop to Jutland, undetected by the Jutland press. In August of 2001, she flew back and this time, spent a full month near Edward. She visited Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Keeping a sort of home base in Denmark, she and Edward spent their time completely under the radar of the local press.**

**Edward made one last trip to Montana in October 2001. This would be their last time they were ever to be alone together without anyone outside of their family and friends knowing it.**

**Curiosity was peaked in the Jutland press. Someone had been looking closely at the royal calendars. Edward was the Regent of the Crown whenever his parents were out of country. In his absence, his sister, Princess Rosalie acted as regent. A young reporter couldn't quite figure out where Crown Prince Edward was going and why his sister was being regent so often. And it wouldn't be long before that young reporter seeking her first big story would sniff out the love life of Edward and Bella.**


	4. Chapter 4

On a sunny day at the beginning of November, Bella was leaving the Billings, Montana office of The Foundation. Her long brown hair slicked back in a pony tail and wearing tan slacks, a crisp white button down shirt and a red trench coat, Bella made her way out of the office and to the parking lot. She had just put on a pair of sunglasses when a woman with curly red hair stopped her. At first Bella assumed she was looking for directions. Instead, the woman began to pepper Bella with questions about her relationship with Prince Edward. Startled by this intrusion into her privacy, Bella, refusing to answer any questions, made her way to her car, but not before the flashes of the camera caught her.

The next day, all the Jutland papers had Bella's picture plastered across the front of them. "Edwards new love" one said. "Is Bella the one?" was another headline.

"We knew, from looking at the Prince's calendar, when he would be gone. It took a bit more digging to find out where he was going." Victoria Ond, editor- in- chief of **Nyheder i Dag (News of the Day**) "We began to dig and we hit a goldmine when we discovered he had made a trip to America in October. A bit more digging and we were able to find out why he made the trip."

"Everybody wants to know who the prince is dating," she continues. "As journalists, it is our duty to tell the stories the people of Jutland want to hear. Sure, there had been whispers, but up until we found her, we couldn't be sure."

Those first pictures of Bella, looking shocked as she is accosted coming out of her office, made their way to the other Nordic countries. Amusingly, close to the same time Bella was outed, Prince Frederik's girlfriend, Mary Donaldson, was also outed by the press. Prince Frederik had met Mary at the same pub and the same night Prince Edward met Bella. Such similarities between the two couples would continue for months to come. News spread of the royal romances and papers mentioning anything of the romances sold out.

Edward called Bella the morning after the papers ran the story. "He was concerned that all the attention would have a negative effect on their relationship," a friend close to the couple quips. "But the news hadn't even broke in America and Bella was left rather clueless."

The news didn't stay quiet in America for very long. Not long after, tabloids and magazines began to hound Bella.

"It must have been shocking, you know, to go from this quiet life to one of being hounded. I think in her own way, Bella was considering whether it was all worth it in respect to her relationship with Edward."

By December 2001, after no comments from either Bella or Edward, the media frenzy began to settle. A small camp of photographers camped out near her property for over a month, but with no sign of Edward, and Edward keeping up appearances in Jutland, the press got tired. By January of 2002, the press was completely gone and by the end of January, so was Bella.

Quietly and with no notice to anyone other than her close family and friends, Bella moved to Denmark. A country close to Edward, but far enough from the prying eyes of the Jutland press.

"The decision was made right after the press found out about her. The cat was out of the bag so to speak. A decision had to be made. You know, where was their relationship going. Obviously, they couldn't continue the long distance thing. Since Bella had the most flexibility, she choose to make the move," Julia Swan tells. "She didn't quit The Foundation. To this day, she is still with The Foundation. She had already endowed it with 400 million dollars, which left her with about 35 million. She could very easily work with The Foundation from any telephone and computer in the world."

"I think, at the beginning of 2002, they both knew they would probably get married. But 2002 would be very much the testing grounds for them. She wouldn't have made the move if there wasn't some plan for the whole thing to go further on," her Aunt Julia goes on to say.

Taking an apartment in Copenhagen, Bella began the task of learning Juts. Juts is a hard language to master for a foreigner. It is a Germanic language and Danish, Swedish and Norwegian are all cousins of Juts, but it is very much its own language. 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, an advisor from the Royal family would come to her apartment. There she would be immersed in learning the difficult language, the customs of Jutland and those of the Royal Family.

"Up until 2002, Edward and I only communicated in English. It was the language we began with and all of our correspondences had been in English. I had never studied another language, so it was all very new to me." The Crown Princess of Jutland, Isabella, as stated in her engagement interview.

The whole thing must have been very daunting for her. For a period of six months, no one knew where she was. It was amazing. When Edward would come to visit her at her apartment, he would enter through a back door. For awhile it seemed like they would continue their relationship in a secret manor. But it wasn't to be. By July 2002, Victoria Ond had once again sniffed the couple out.

"It was rather charming. A great pile of photographers would be waiting outside her front door. Isabella would leave, alone. The photographers would follow her and Edward would slip out the back door unnoticed. They kept this charade up even when Edward wasn't in Denmark, to keep up appearances. Isabella would leave, photographers would follow her, and at the same time in Jutland, Prince Edward would be photographed at some other event. People began to say they weren't together. But I always asked the question, if they weren't together, then why was Isabella in Denmark?"

But eventually, the couple was spotted out together. It happened one late August day. Pictures from a birthday party for Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, show the couple leaving together. After that, a small trickle of photographs showing the couple began to sprout up. Leaving a restaurant, riding bikes in a park, attending parties with friends. By October 2002, Bella was splitting her time between Denmark and Jutland.

Things were, it seemed, in full bloom for the couple. Not even a patch of rough tabloid news could keep them down. Victoria ran a story in **Nyheder i Dag **about Bella's middle class life. It made her out to sound like a country bumpkin. Adding in her story of winning the lottery, and the trashy tabloid thought it had a winner. "Not Fit For OUR Prince" was the cover. Inside, the tabloid stated that Bella was a brash woman who only had her eyes set on one thing, and that was snagging a prince. They called her a gold-digger, which given her wealth, was quite ironic. They tore her family upside down. Her father was a lowly public servant, while her mother was made out to be some sort of artistic loon.

"They thoroughly trashed her and her family. It was awful. I felt so bad for her, to have a paper say all these cruel things about her," Bella's friend from high school, Angela Weber says. "A sweet girl, who happened to find love. It didn't matter to her that her love was royal. It wouldn't have mattered. The whole article reeked of jealous ramblings from a bitter woman. Bella was simply at the right time at the right place. She fell in love with Edward the man. Not Edward the prince."

"Perhaps the thing that hurt her most was that they called her useless. Here was a woman who had just spent the last few years of her life, trying to make a difference and sharing her wealth to make the world a better place and she was, she was making a huge difference and here was this magazine saying she wasn't good enough, or smart enough or of proper background for Edward. It was heartbreaking for her." Angela continues, "But she kept her chin up. Bella isn't one to give up."

It can't be easy for a commoner, not used to everything that goes with royal life, but Bella did keep on. "She had her Edward and she had her job, and I think, for her, that's all she needed in life." Angela states.

By January 2003, with their relationship in the open, Bella undertook a 17 day trip to Africa. She went to assess needs for sustainable fresh water supplies through her foundation. And after that trip, she flew directly to Australia, to see the fruits of The Foundations work 3 years after it began there. She was surprised at the end of her week long journey to Australia by Prince Edward. The couple spent an extra weekend in Sydney where they met, before making the 24 plus hour trip back to Jutland.

"She was really shocked when he showed up in Australia. It had been three weeks since they last saw each other and she had just undertaken this huge trip to Africa and was really despondent over the lack of fresh water there. She takes a lot of the weight of the world on her shoulders, she wants to make things better right then and she was feeling rather discouraged by Africa. But when Edward showed up, she just lit up. He was exactly what she needed after that trip." Angela Weber.

On February 14th, Valentine's Day, 2003, Edward made his first official statement about Bella. Leaving a meeting on climate control, the prince was asked about Bella. "I think she is a very special woman. Very smart and dedicated." he replied with a crooked smile on his face. Later that evening, the couple was spotted having a romantic dinner and in the early dawn, Prince Edward was spotted leaving from the back of her apartment building.

On March 15th, Bella accompanied Edward on their very first, very public outing. She accompanied him to the wedding of a friend from University. Bella, looking lovely in a sapphire blue gown, held tight to a black tuxedo dressed Edward's hand as he led her through the crowd of wedding guests and photographers lined up on the side. Bella smiled at the photographers and made small talk with the guests. The press knew next to nothing about her, about this mysterious woman from America, but they liked the pretty woman at Edwards side and she sold papers. They ran constant stories of an impending wedding announcement. But Edward and Bella were ones to do things on their own time. And besides, Bella hadn't passed the most important test of all. She had yet to met Edward's mother and father, Their Royal Highnesses, The King and Queen of Jutland.


	5. Chapter 5

The kingdom of Jutland is one of the oldest in the world. The first recorded king of Jutland was Norm the Stern, in 1100. Norm the Stern liberated the small island from Denmark and radically stopped coastal pillaging on her shores. Since then, the tiny Nordic island country, roughly the size of California with a population of around 4.5 million, had fought against invasions against Denmark, Sweden, Russia and Britain. From 1674 to 1858, it was part of Denmark and Norway. In 1859, the country declared its independence from them and became a self ruling country again. The new constitution allowed the king an unusual amount of power tempered with an edge of responsibility not seen in other monarchies. The King sits at the head of state, has final say of all legislative bills and laws (but allowing his political neutrality, he rarely interferes in state matters) and must meet with any disgruntled citizen and make yearly speeches about the state of the country.

For this responsibility, the Royal House of Bernadotte-Glucksberg-Saxe is among the wealthiest and most popular of the Scandinavian monarchies. They are very beloved amongst the small population. The country, in contrast to other the other Scandinavian countries, enjoys low taxes but the same high level of social benefits due to Jutland unique presence in banking and gambling. Jutland has been called both a Scandinavian Switzerland and a Scandinavian Monaco because of this. The country holds almost no debt and has enormous amounts of krons in in its treasury reserve. The people of Jutland enjoy free University and free healthcare among other society benefits and no property taxes and low sales taxes.

Since 1859, they are a peaceful country. No longer in need to defend herself from others, Jutland still has an active three branch military system. The Royal Navy, The Royal Army and The Royal Air Guard. Jutland is not a neutral country and has often lent a hand to other countries in need, such as military action in Africa and the Middle East. King Carlisle is the Commander-In-Chief to all three branches and like Prince Edward, he trained and served in all three as a young man.

When King Carlisle came to power after his fathers death, the appearance of the young King with his family on the balcony of Gnudsborg palace reassured a country mourning the loss of a beloved King. Since then, King Carlisle and his wife, The Queen Esme, have made their life at the royal palaces as normal as possible. Their children grew up with the excellent public school system and it wasn't unusual to see the Queen taking the children to the park. The Royal Family brought with it not only youth and beauty, but a willingness to mix with the population at large.

"I remember the big article in one of the papers about a young Princess Rosalie losing her temper at the playground. She might have been 5 or 6 years old. She was supposed to be waiting her turn for the slide and instead she got mad and pushed a smaller child down to get in front There was a picture of Queen Esme giving her a swat on the behind. It was something, to see Her Royal Highness, The Queen, swat a child. It was a light swat, but nevertheless, she was parenting, and not depending on nannies," Grace Bowers, nanny for the Royal Family from 1967 to 1973 says. "They had nannies obviously, the nature of their jobs meant they were often away from home, but when they were home, both the King and Queen were very much hands on parents."

By all accounts, the palace was loving home for the young prince and his sisters.

"They were allowed some semblance of a normal childhood, well, as normal a childhood as one can get growing up in a Royal Family. I expect they were lonely at times owing to how often their parents were gone. And I think Prince Edward has said at times he had a very lonely life growing up. You felt a bit sad for them, but nothing could be done. That is the nature of the Royal life." Grace Bowers.

If it was a lonely childhood, it could also be determined that his future would also be laid out in such a way that he would not be able to deviate from. He was expected to go to University, acquire military training and find his role while he waits for the Throne. And of course, find a suitable bride who could provide the essential heir.

"It's not stated explicitly, but we all know. The only real role for any Crown Princess is to provide an heir so the monarchy can go on. That's it. In this day and age, we like to think a Crown Princess has more to offer with charity work and good deeds in the name of her country, but without an heir, the monarchy dies. It's her duty to provide this and anyone even coming close to marrying a Crown Prince realizes this." a palace aide discloses.

From the age of 19 and on until his late 20's, Prince Edward had gained a sort of lovable rogue impression in the papers. He bounced from girl to girl, party to party. Because he was still holding his end of the royal bargain (he was young, handsome, enrolled in University and the military) he was given a pass from the papers.

It was only until he got closer to age 30 that the papers began to ask when he would settle down. His longest relationship, until that point had been 2 years and when the relationship was called off, the papers went crazy. "Grow Up!" was the general headlines that followed. It seemed his lovable rogue facade could only last so long.

And it was exactly why the papers had a feeding frenzy over his relationship with Miss Isabella Swan. For almost 3 years they had been dating and even though she hadn't yet met his parents, the press was getting the feeling this was the one. The feeling was heightened on April 2, 2003. At a charity golf game, Bella brought a club to Edward and in front of all the spectators and cameras, accepted a kiss on the lips from him.

"It was a quick kiss, a smack. But it was on the lips and it was the first public display of affection between them." Maddie Donnt, photographer of the Royal Family. "That's when we all knew. I mean, he couldn't kiss her and have that picture in the papers and then break up with her. Royals just do not show affection in public unless they are married or engaged. The whole thing was probably calculated by Edward, to tell the world and his parents of his intentions."

The day before Jutland Day on April 22nd, the day Jutland celebrates their independence, Bella was allowed a meeting between Queen Esme, Prince Edward and herself.

"She was a nervous wreck the day before. Edward was showing her the proper way to greet the Queen. Bella is a bit clumsy, so trying to do curtsies was a bit of a struggle for her. She went over the proper protocols with Edward, who very sweetly reminded Bella that his mother was just as nervous to meet Bella as Bella was nervous to meet the Queen," Angela Weber tells me. "I had been invited to stay with Bella for the week leading up the Jutland Day celebrations. In retrospect, it was amazing to see the final pieces of their relationship fall into place. I almost feel honored to know I was there and one of the few who really got to watch the whole thing unfold. I knew, as I watched Edward help Bella curtsy while trying to hold back the laughter, that this was it. They were going to get married."

Bella hit up the Jutland designer Rolf Uttebjorn for the dress she would wear to her meeting for the queen. She narrowed the choices down to three and undecided, Rolf sent the three dresses home along with matching shoes and purses. Angela remembers the night they stayed up, perfecting the look.

"She had wanted to wear a Jutland designer. It was a touching gesture on Bella's part, even if the Queen wouldn't know it.. At the end, after trying on and marching around the apartment in the three dresses, she picked a simple blue shift dress with a matching coat. It's not in Bella's nature to be showy, so the dress was perfect."

Arriving at the Palace, Bella must have felt nerves we can only imagine. Details of the meeting between the queen and Bella have never been released, but we do know they spent 2 hours together and had tea. That night, Edward and Bella showed up together at a concert for Jutland. On Jutland Day, Bella was nowhere to be seen. She popped up the next day in Montana. She spent a couple days there, putting her ranch up for sale, before she flew out to Washington to spend a couple weeks with her parents.

"The last weekend she was here, Edward flew out, to meet her parents. They all spent the weekend together," says Julia Swan. "Her parents loved him. I think, getting approval from both parents was the final link. 4 months later, there was the announcement from the palace."

July is usually the month the Crown Prince takes his holiday. During the month of August, his parents take their holiday and the Crown Prince must act as regent of Jutland while they are away. That summer, Edward and Bella were joined by the prince's older sister Princess Rosalie and her husband of 2 years, Count Emmett McCarty. Later in the week, Princess Alice and her boyfriend, Jasper Hale, son of a wealthy business man. They spent 3 weeks at Fiji before Bella and Edward disappeared the last week.

They flew to Spain and then on to Greece. On their last day in Greece, in Santorini, Edward asked Bella to marry him. It is something to note that for almost 3 weeks, they kept the engagement to themselves and their parents. The cat got out of the bag at the end of the King and Queens stay at their palace in southern Jutland on the last day of their vacation, when a reporter casually tossed out a question.

"Do you think Miss Swan would make a good daughter-in-law?" Reporter asks.

"Oh, yes. She is a lovely person. She makes Edward very happy." King Carlisle, August 21st, 2003.

The press wires flew. Was this an admission from the King that an announcement would be coming? For 3 three days, it seemed the whole of Jutland held their breath. On the morning the State Council met on August 24th at exactly 9 am, the announcement was released.

At exactly noon, the engaged couple made their way to the royal balcony and waved at the crowds of Jutlanders who had gathered in response to the news of the engagement. Bella looked stunned at first, at the massive crowd waving both the Jutland standard and the American flag. With Edward's arm around her waist, she waved and smiled at the crowds. As she was led back into the palace, she gave one last toss over her shoulder at the sight of Jutlanders gathered, singing and yelling.

Inside the palace, the press corps was assembled, waiting for the Crown Prince and his bride to be. This would be Bella's first test as a new royal, a baptism of fire from the press corps in their first interview.


	6. Chapter 6

Here for the first time, in its entirety, is the official transcript of the engagement interview between His Royal Highness, The Crown Prince Edward of Jutland and Miss Isabella Marie Swan.

The couple sits on a deep red couch in front of the assembled press corps from the world.

"Thank you for being here today. This is one of the happiest days of my life and I would like nothing more than to answer any questions you may have for me in Juts. I've read I speak it fluently and I'm sorry, that's not true. I'll try my best and might have to answer some questions in English to get my point across better. Thank you." Bella said this all in Juts. It was the first time she had spoken to the press in Juts and even though she slipped over some words, everyone was impressed at her ability to try.

"How are you feeling at this moment?" Reporter from Jutland

"Nervous! Happy" she responds in Juts before to switching to English "I can't put into words how I am feeling at this moment, to be honest. It's just, umm, an amazing day."

"How did you know, how did you decide she was the one?" Reporter from Jutland to Prince Edward.

"It was a natural progression. I don't think…I can't say exactly when or where it happened. But when I tried to picture, you know, a future without her, I couldn't see it. I just knew, I guess, that she was the one." Edward.

The same question is asked to Bella, who answers in English. " I agree that is was a natural progression. We just sort of fell into each other more deeply, every day, you know? We had similar likes and our conversations just really never ended. Um, I don't think it's fair to pinpoint the exact moment, because, you know, there are many moments that can lead you to this point."

"What do you see your role being, as future Crown Princess and eventually Queen?" Reporter from Sweden.

"I hope to grow a role that best displays, um, my qualities for the role. It something I have to give, um, it's something I will have to develop over time with the help of his highness and the king and the queen. I umm, I think, I can't even begin to think about the role of the Queen, that is so far in the future, you know, I just want, um, I just want to see where my role as Crown Princess leads." Bella answers in Juts.

"How do you feel about having to relinquish your rights to be an American?" Reporter from New York.

"Obviously, um, my new role requires it. I…America will always be part of me. But my new role and my life are here, to serve the people of Jutland as best I can." Bella in English.

"How about children? They are planned, yes?" Reporter.

"I wouldn't say planned, but they are there, in the future." Bella laughs, telling us in English.

"Children definitely, how many, that's unknown. But yes, they are there for us." Edward.

"Can you tell us anything about the prince proposing to you? Was it romantic?" Reporter.

"I think we want to keep that between us, you know, umm, keep that moment private. But yes, it was very romantic. Thank you." Bella in English.

"Will you still continue your charity work?" Reporter

"Oh yes! It's very important to me. To be able to give help wherever and whenever it is needed. I…um, obviously, The Foundation will continue to work. We have a global commitment, you know, to serve others less fortunate. That work will always continue." Bella in Juts.

"Is today a bit like the day you won the lottery?" Reporter from Washington.

"I don't know why I even bought a ticket. I had never done so before. But I just felt, almost as if someone had leaned in and whispered to me to buy it. I just felt this incredible surge of luck. So I bought it and tucked it away into my purse. I was late for class and finals were approaching. I didn't give the ticket much thought until I woke up the next morning and my roommate was going on about the Lottery winner having bought the winning ticket at the local gas station. My first thought, a bit cloudy upon being woken, was that this was fantastic! A local person had one the lottery. It wasn't until later that afternoon when I remembered I had purchased a ticket and that's when I checked the numbers. I can't even recollect what my first thoughts were. I mean, how could anyone upon learning they were 750 million dollars richer? It was all very surreal. And to this day, it still feels like it happened to someone else or that it happened in some alternative world."

"But today is a different feeling altogether. It's still very surreal, but trust me, I am feeling it!" Bella in English.

"What are His Royal Highnesses best qualities, the ones you fell in love with?" Reporter from Jutland.

"I, um, when I um, first met his highness, I didn't know who he was. But his sense of humor that first night, you know, it was similar to mine and we began to talk. And we haven't really stopped. He is um, he is a very kind hearted person. He is honorable. Everyone, um, I've seen that people, uh, everyone near him sees this remarkable person. It's hard for me to sum it up, and again, um, it's not a …nothing I could say would be fair to the person he is. You can't put him, it's not fair to describe Edward in a few sentences. It doesn't do him as a person justice." Bella in English.

"Your highness? The same question, I guess." Reporter from Jutland.

"Like Bella, we have similar senses of humor. But the person she is, I can't umm, she took on this huge mission of bettering the world. That sort of person, I mean, that sort of person deserves only the highest compliments. The parts of her that make her special to me, um, well, she is amazing. She is perfection in my eyes. I really…I really can't, it's um, like Bella said, it's not fair to make statements about a whole person and try to surmise them in a few sentences. She's um, wonderful and I'm very lucky." Edward.

"Tell us about that first night you both met. We've only heard bits and pieces of it and would love to hear the whole story." Reporter from Spain.

Bella and Edward laugh. "It was at a bar in Sydney, Australia." Edward

"I was asked to go. I had wanted to put it off, I had planned to look over proposals that night. But my friends were adamant I go, to have some fun. So I did. I had no idea that the Jutland team would be there, or did I know that royals would be there. I think there were 2 or 3 Crown Princes at that bar that night. At the time, I didn't know that. I only went to get away from my paperwork. It was about half an hour later of being there that one of my friends rushed up to me and announced that a large group of royals were there." Bella in English.

"I found myself at this table, surrounded by people I didn't know. Loud talking, music playing. I leaned over to the person next to me and said "You know, I've heard there is supposed to be a group of royals here." And the person replied back to me, "Really?" I remember saying to that person, "I'm an American, royalty doesn't impress me. Give me a person who dedicates their lives to helping others, that impresses me." From that point on, we kept up a lively conversation. He introduced himself simply as Edward. It was only later, when we were leaving and we were exchanging numbers did I learn he was a prince." Bella in English.

The assembled press laugh at this story.

"How are you coming along with the language, Miss Swan?" Reporter from Washington

"Up until late 2002, Edward and I only communicated in English. It was the language we began with and all of our correspondences had been in English. I had never studied another language, so it was all very new to me. I'm, umm, I'm studying hard, I want, I want, you know, to make my new country proud of me, but I hope they understand, it's a very hard language to learn and I hope, umm, I hope they bear with me and the time it may take for me to become fluent and to, you know, forgive any mistakes I might make along the way." Bella in English.

"She's doing wonderfully with the new language. We practice a lot together now." Edward.

"So, you must have passed quite a few tests to be sitting where you are now, Miss Swan. Can you tell us about some of those tests?" Reporter.

"I can't recall any tests. But I guess there must have been a few along the way." Bella in Juts.

The royal press secretary ends the interview with this question.

After the interview, Bella and Edward were led off to a short photo op. Bella showed off her engagement ring. A simple 2 carat princess cut diamond, surrounded on one side by a smaller blue sapphire and on the other side, a matching red ruby, to symbolize the Jutland standard. Smiles were produced for the cameras, and after a short time, the couple was led away to the privacy of the State dining room, for a lunch with the king and queen, selected members of the Council and Bella's parents. Later that evening, the king and queen held an engagement banquet for Bella and Edward. Bella wowed everyone with her sapphire blue one shoulder, gathered Roman Toga style evening gown cinched tightly at the waist. Her hair swept up and sporting a pair of diamond and gold earrings, an engagement gift from King Carlisle and a diamond bracelet, a gift from the Queen, Bella looked every inch the princess. She walked with the poise and grace befitting a royal.

"It was her first official outing and she knocked it out of the ball park, Up until that point, most glimpses of her had been in casual clothes, but the night of their engagement, she looked like a princess." Palace advisor.

Being engaged to the prince gave Bella credibility to finally attend royal functions. She showed up with Edward at many such events. She was becoming acquainted with the royal life and to her surprise, she was finding her stride.

Everything was leading up to one day. The Royal Wedding Day. All of Jutland was eagerly anticipating the wedding and their new princess. June 12th, 2004 couldn't get there soon enough.


	7. Chapter 7

2004 was the year of royal weddings. May 14th, 2004, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark married Miss Mary Donaldson. They had met at the same place and same time Crown Prince Edward and Miss Isabella Swan met. The following week, Crown Prince Felipe of Spain married his journalist girlfriend in Spain.

The week of the royal wedding in Jutland started off with a bang. The Monday before the wedding, Prince Edward and Bella took part in a charity golf exhibition to benefit The Foundation clean water supply initiative. Tuesday saw a large exhibit of royal wedding items from Jutland's royals. Wednesday, a large concert was held. Several American rock bands performed for Prince Edward, Bella and the Princesses Rosalie and Alice as well as a large number of Jutlanders. Friday night, a gala dinner and orchestra concert was held. This was the night that Bella stepped out of the car wearing for the first time, the red sash of the Royal family and the royal family order on it.

She wore a deep purple gown, of heavy silk. She also wore the emerald tiara that had been Prince Edwards great-grandmothers and the matching necklace and earrings. As she grabbed her prince's arm, she turned to the crowd and waved and smiled. By that time tomorrow, she would be a princess. It was, in a sense her last night of freedom.

"I was invited to the wedding events in Jutland prior to the wedding. As one of her bridesmaids, I guess I felt it was my duty to help with anything that needed to be done those last few days before the wedding. I will never forget the euphoria that swept over the whole country of Jutland in those days. It was magical." Angela Weber.

The morning of June 12th was a bright sunny day. The weather forecasters declared it would be a beautiful day. The days were long in Jutland now, and by the time the guests started showing up at the Cathedral just after 3 pm, they still had plenty and plenty of daylight hours ahead of them.

"I wasn't used to the sun! It rises early and sets late, you know, it's a Nordic country. But really, it was special to know that the sun almost really didn't set on her wedding day. It added another level of special to the day." Angela Weber.

The capitol of Jutland, Danskholm, called up its largest force of police officers in the history of the city. The wedding motorcade route the Royal Family and the bride would take was carefully cordoned off for crowd control. Giant flat screen tv's were erected in the nearby courtyard of the Cathedral, so people could watch and it is estimated that nearly 80% of the Jutland population with tv's watched the wedding day events.

We know Bella slept in that day, she was awakened at 1030 for to begin preparations. Her hairstylist and make up artist were from Jutland. Her gown had been designed by an up and coming Jutland designer and her wedding bouquet was to hold flowers unique to both Jutland and America.

She ate a small lunch at 1230 and by 1300 (1 pm), she was beginning to get ready. For the next 2 1/2hours, Bella was made up, hair styled, dressed and jewelry in place.

The King and The Queen gave their future daughter-in-law The Jutland Fringe tiara to wear at the wedding. Made in 1785, it features over 200 carats of flawless diamonds. The Queen also lent Bella the diamond earrings she had worn at her wedding to King Carlisle and that his mother had worn to her wedding.

On her head, attached carefully to the tiara was the 145 year old lace veil worn by every Crown Princess at their weddings since 1859. 15 feet long and made of ivory silk netting, with intricate lace work.

Her gown was a simple, yet beautiful affair. Heavy silk satin with princess seams. The full skirt swept down from the fitted waist. The long sleeves, a must for royal brides, were simple, fitted closely to the arms with bell cuffs. The bodice of the dress was unadorned and the ballerina neckline accentuated the Crown Princess to be delicate neck and shoulders. Trailing behind, a ten foot long silk satin train, overlaid with lace taken from from the royal vaults. It was stunning in its simplicity.

Her bridesmaids were her old high school friend Angela Weber and the Princesses Rosalie and Alice. The women were dressed in simple heavy silk gowns, a deep wine color, whose simple princess seam lines echoed that of the Crown Princess to be's gown.

The bride carried a bouquet of pale yellow and white roses, deep wine roses, sprigs of lavender, violet hydrangeas and ivy.

The young attendants included the daughter of a friend of Edward and the young son of Angela Weber and her husband. The flower girl was dressed in a white dress with a wine colored bow and the page boy wore a navy blue Sailors uniform, similar to the one the pages seen in the wedding of Prince Edwards parents.

15 minutes before the wedding, Bella was ready to leave and make her way to the church, arriving on time for the 4 pm ceremony and 10 minutes behind the King and Queen. The only time she would be allowed to arrive after them. Inside the cathedral sat over 2500 guests, many of the guests royals and heads of states and the worlds nobility.

Driving through the crowds from the Palace to the cathedral, Bella waved and smiled. And when the car pulled up to the front of the cathedral, a huge cheer went up that could be heard inside the church. Edward, wearing his full military regalia, was openly moved to tears knowing his bride was about to walk down the aisle to him.

Bella had a bit of a stumble as she tried to get out of the car. Getting tangled up in her gown, she wobbled for a moment before her father helped right her. With her bridesmaid busy around her, straightening her gown. Bella made her way up the red carpeted steps to the doors of the cathedral. Turning once to wave at the crowds cheering her on and with one last quick fix of her wedding gown, and straightening of the veil, the Royal Trumpets announced her arrival and the doors to the Cathedral of Danskholm were opened and Bella and her father began to make their way down the aisle, toward her Prince and her new life.

The processional music had to be scraped a month earlier. Bella had been due to walk down the aisle to Zadok the Priest, by Handel. It was used at the May wedding of the Crown Prince and Crown Prince of Denmark. Bella turned to another Handel work, the Overture from Music for Royal Fireworks.

"I got goosebumps. The swell of the music in the church was just amazing." Julia Swan remembering the wedding. "The acoustics were amazing. She had this long walk, the longest of any royal bride since Queen Esme made the same walk. The Cathedral is huge, the aisle seems to go on for ages. It was a ten minute walk up to the alter. I imagine she was tired just from that, carrying that heavy dress and train. It was wedding that blew all others out of the water. I will never forget the scent of all the flowers that filled the church. It was amazing."

The traditional Lutheran wedding ceremony took place in Juts. Bella confidently answered "ja" (yes in English) when asked to confirm the marriage vows. Smiling at each other through the hour long ceremony, occasionally holding hands, the couple looked very much in love. Edward slipped the wedding band on Bella's finger and carrying an American tradition, she placed a ring on his finger.

At the end of the ceremony, the newly married couple rose from their gilt chairs and with a deep bow from Prince Edward and a curtsy from the new Crown Princess to Their Royal Highnesses, they made their way down the aisle to the strains of Bach's Brandenburg concerto.

"It was a happy day. The happiest day in Jutland since the King and Queens wedding!" Jutlander who was in the crowd that day.

Walking out the cathedral doors to the cheers and waving of the crowds, Crown Princess Bella carefully kept her arm entwined with her new husbands as they walked down the steps and to the waiting horse carriage that would take them back to the palace for the dinner and the dance that would follow.

Reflecting on their wedding on their one year anniversary, The Crown Princess had this to say, " I was very glad the whole thing had been taped. I was so swept up in the day, it passed before me in a blur. I just remember feeling a happiness I had never felt and you know, uhh, I was carried away by this sea of onlookers who had gathered to wish me well. When I watched the wedding video for the first time after the wedding, I was surprised, because I had missed so much in the hectic pace of the day."

At the dinner that evening, both the king and Prince Edward gave speeches to the new Crown Princess.

"You have shown yourself to be a great asset to our family and the people of Jutland. I know the choice you faced in determining your fate was not an easy one, but I am glad you made it. Your grace and your abilities will only allow our country to grow and I know you will do the best job possible for Jutland. The Queen and I are very fond of you, Isabella and we are happy to welcome you to our family, and we think of you as a daughter. If, at any time, you feel lost in your new role, I hope that you know you will be able to come to the queen or myself to ask freely for guidance. " Excerpt from King Carlisle's wedding speech to Isabella.

Edward's speech to his bride, was in Juts. As he read his speech, Bella had to dab tears from her eyes and at times, Edward's voice got shaky as his emotions shown through.

"Our future is ours. We can, from this moment on, charter our own course. The anticipation of what lies ahead for us, the wonders of our future lives together, is something I can hardly wait to experience with you at my side. I am honored to be your husband." Excerpt from Prince Edwards speech to his bride.

The wedding guests ate a three course meal that included lobster, beef and Washington salmon. The ten tier wedding cake, decorated with scenery from Jutland and the Royal Crest was cut and the party started. Dancing lasted until the early morning hours, but the newlyweds checked out early.

"They danced the traditional Jutland wedding waltz. And then they left to get ready for their honeymoon. They are quite pleased that they managed to slip out of the country almost unnoticed by the press." Angela Weber.

They spent two weeks on their honeymoon, the exact locations were never mentioned. The Crown Princess has stated that they wish for a bit of secrecy about the locations, but we know Australia and Greece were two of the destinations. Wherever they went, when they landed back in Jutland at the beginning of July, the couple was now married and Bella's life as a new royal was ahead of her.

"Of course, the first thing people wanted to know, was she pregnant? The press was told to be on baby bump alert. The old task of providing an heir, even in the 20th century was still there. And people wanted it sooner rather than later." Countess of Norskla, Brigette."It puts a lot of pressure on a young couple who are just starting out and trying to find their footings. But I'm sure Bella expected this pressure. She had agreed to it the moment she said yes to the marriage proposal. She knew what her sole duty was."


	8. Chapter 8

They say the first year of any marriage is hard. Imagine if your first year of marriage included state visits, public engagements and constant news headlines asking if you were pregnant yet. By the time of their first wedding anniversary, the crown princely couple had toured America, all of Jutland, Denmark and Norway. They had entertained heads of state and dignitaries at state dinners. They had opened countless parks, schools and hospitals and planted trees. Bella christened her first ship and sat front row at schools across Jutland, listening to schoolchildren sing for her.

On top of her official royal duties, Bella and Edward also continued on with The Foundation works in several African countries and opened a new school in Colombia. They kept themselves busy, immersing themselves in their new roles, but that wasn't enough to satisfy a population waiting for an announcement of a new royal baby.

"Once they had passed their one year mark of being married, we began to closely watch Bella. If she didn't have a glass of wine at a dinner party or if she wore something loose, we would ask ourselves if she was pregnant. It wasn't until that fall, when we realized that perhaps they were in no rush. The whole thing was very annoying. Queen Esme had given birth less than a year after her wedding. We were sort of expecting Princess Bella to do the same," the editor of a Jutland paper tells us. " For awhile it was hurry and wait."

If they noticed the growing anticipation of a royal birth in the papers, the royal couple kept it to themselves. Princess Bella later clarified why they waited.

"I was surprised at the level of anticipation. I mean, I knew people were expecting it, I just didn't imagine that I would come back from our honeymoon and already the papers would be asking if I was pregnant. I had told Edward when he proposed, I asked him to give me at least one full year from our wedding before we would start trying for children. I needed that time and space to be able to find myself in this new role. I couldn't imagine trying to take on two new roles as big as those at the same time."

Sources tell us that Bella kept her word and in June of 2005, the couple ceased using any methods of birth control.

"They were probably expecting to get pregnant right off the bat. They were both young and healthy. It didn't work out like that. It took a few months, but I imagine they had great fun while trying." Anonymous palace source.

On January 15th, 2006, the wait was over. Gnudsborg Palace issued a press release:

**His Majesty The King and Her Royal Highness The Queen take pleasure to announce that The Crown Prince and The Crown Princess are expecting a child. The palace expects the child to be born at the beginning of July.**

Such a simple statement, yet the whole country erupted with joy. Finally, an heir. The papers could give Bella a slight reprieve in her maternal duties. The casinos in Jutland opened bets for the sex of the baby. The whole nation was swept up in baby fever, and Bella and Edward got carried along in that wave.

"It was an wonderful thing to feel, this country of mine being so warm toward my pregnant wife. Everywhere we went, people were offering us advice and good wishes and baby items. I was and still am quite proud of Bella, for carrying on so many duties while she was pregnant. I would often nag at her to slow down, I was worried she was taking on too much. But Bella isn't one to sit still. I don't know if I should be proud or a bit ashamed I cannot get my wife to listen to me." Prince Edward, as stated in a documentary following the birth of their first child.

By the spring of 2006, baby fever was in full gear. A glowing Princess Bella, always shadowed by a very protective Prince Edward, made their way through public engagements. At a school in southern Jutland, school children sang a song they had written just for the Princess and the new baby. Baby items from well wishers all over the world filled the couples royal office.

Things reached a fever pitch in June. Weeks away from delivery, Bella began her maternity leave and the whole nation drew in its collective breaths and waited. As it turns out, they didn't have to hold their breath very long.

On the morning of June 19th, Bella was spotted walking with her bodyguard around the capital city. Wearing no makeup, casual clothes and hair tied up in a pony tail, she looked like any other mom to be. By that afternoon, Bella was in the Royal Hospital of Danskholm, in labor. Reporters crowded outside the hospital waiting for word of the birth.

Finally, at 1am, the palace released a statement:

**It is with pleasure that His Majesty The King and Her Royal Highness The Queen announce the birth of a son to Their Royal Highnesses, The Crown Prince and The Crown Princess. The baby was born at 12:08 am, June 20****th****, 2006. The infant weighed 2.7 kg and was 7.4 cm long.**

At noon on the 20th, a 21 gun salute rang out from the palace courtyard and the palace guards wore the bright blue overcoats that signify a royal birth and the crowds filled the palace courtyard to wave the Jutland standard. The king and queen made their way to the hospital in the afternoon.

"He is a beautiful baby. He has a head full of hair already and a set of lungs on him." King Carlisle to the press assembled outside the hospital.

Bella's parent's also showed up, glowing as only new grandparents can.

The press caught Edward coming into the hospital. He had slipped out unnoticed to the crowds through a back door to shower and change and the press besieged him on his way back in.

"Mother and baby are fine. Bella did a wonderful job. I was there the whole time with her, it's an incredible birthday gift," he said, beaming, tousling his hair nervously.

Princesses Rosalie and Alice made their way to the hospital the following day and came out and told the press they loved being aunts and looked forward to spoiling the new baby. The palace had announced the engagement of Princess Alice and her long term boyfriend, Jasper the day before the birth, so the joy was doublefold for the family. A new heir and a royal wedding in the same year!

On June 23rd , the Crown Princess was released from hospital and a short photo opportunity was given. A radiant Princess Bella showed off the new prince, swaddled in blue who sported bronze hair. Guided by her husband, she made her way through the gauntlet of photographers and reporters who shot questions at her and she tried her best to answer them.

"I'm obviously happy. He is a perfect baby," she stated.

When one reporter asked her when she planned to have the next one, Bella quipped "I'm not a factory."

"We are still young, plenty of time for that," Edward replied as he guided Bella and his new son to the waiting car to be taken home. And the nation was happy. They had their heir.

By the couples own accounts, their infant son, dubbed the lilprins until his name was revealed at the christening, was a delight and they easily found themselves submerged in parenthood. They often took walks on the palace park grounds, pushing the baby in a stroller. Bella seemed fit in her role as a new mother and it was announced that she was breastfeeding the child and that the royal couple was using cloth diapers.

Bella had, under Jutland law, a legal right to a full year of maternity leave. Edward had under the same law six months off and for the most part, they kept their activities reduced, but they both never really had the full time allotted them.

"It was one thing for the country to finally have an heir, our lilprins (little prince in English), but can you imagine the outrage the tabloids would have had with with them, especially Edward, if they had taken the full leave? It doesn't matter that every other new parent in Jutland takes the long leave, this is the royal family we are talking about. Royalty doesn't know sick leave. They would have been called lazy or useless." Palace advisor.

By the third month following their sons birth, Bella was taking part in light public engagements and Edward was carrying out work for both the Royal Family and The Foundation. Plans were underway for the christening of the new heir. It would be at this christening we would finally learn the name of the little prince, following an old custom in Jutland, adopted from Denmark. On October 13th,the date of the christening, Bella announced the name of the little prince as he was christened at the same baptismal font used in all royal christenings since 1859. Million of Jutlanders turned on the televisions to watch the live event.

The baby was named James Carlisle Edward Charles. James after James the III who fought in the war of Independence of 1858. Carlisle after his paternal grandfather, Edward after his father and Charles is an old royal name and also the name of Princess Bella's father.

Little Prince James was a hit in the tiny country. A documentary about his birth and his first three months were shown on Jutland public television the night of the christening. We were allowed an inside look at the couples home life and their life leading up to the birth of their first child. We were shown new side of the couple we hadn't seen before, including the way they interacted with each other. Constantly touching or smiling at one another, they weren't shy to show their affections.

"We were given almost unlimited access to their daily lives during that period. It was a first for this particular royal family to be so open. They keep their home life pretty guarded, but I think the crown prince and crown princess wanted to show a new side to monarchy. A more open one." Jacob Black, producer and director of the documentary, "lilprins"

It also allowed, for the first time since their engagement, an interview on life in the first year of marriage and how they were feeling about the birth. It showed an honest side to both Bella and Edward that was much changed since their guarded engagement interview. The two frequently joked around with each other and the questions they were asked.

"Have I been crabby or hormonal? Gosh, what sort of question is that! I'm hugely pregnant. I think I'm allowed to be crabby! But, I don't think I am crabby," Bella says before she turns to Edward and asks "Am I crabby?" Edward stutters along for a bit before he quickly reassures her that "No, you aren't the least bit crabby!" When Bella turns her head away from the camera for a moment, Edward rolls his eyes at the interviewer and has a look of exasperation on his face. "Crabby ALL the time" he mouths to the camera.

At another point, the questions turn more complex.

"Have your feelings for each other changed in the year since you've been married and are now expecting a child?" the interviewer asks off camera.

"Have they changed? Yes. But for the better. I see what this amazing woman has taken on, you know, quite without complaint and the fact that she keeps on going. She doesn't stop. My love and admiration for her continually grow and deepen. She's had this constant weight on her shoulder, um, about having my child, or rather the heir, and that can wear anyone down. Her value to the crown of Jutland , er and the people of Jutland goes further than her ability to have children. I'm proud she choose me to be her husband and the father of her children, but I am also proud of her abilities has a Crown Princess for the people of Jutland. She should make them all proud of those accomplishments too and not only for having an heir." His Royal Highness The Crown Prince Edward of Jutland, relating how proud he is of his wife and her work within the royal family, excerpted from the 'lilprins' documentary.

2004 was the year of the wedding. 2005 was the year of getting used to the royal life. 2006 was the year of the heir. What could 2007 hold for the couple that could possibly top this year?


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